Leaders of various Dravidian parties on Sunday made a beeline at DMK founder and former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai's mausoleum on the Marina to pay homage on the occasion of his 50th death anniversary.
Half-a-century since his death, what distinguishes him from others was his readiness to accommodate second-line leadership in the DMK and his democratic spirit.
“Anna never felt threatened by second-line leaders,” historian A.R. Venkatachalapathy said while speaking at The Hindu Lit for Life, recalling how the Dravidian stalwart had once called upon V.R. Nedunchezhian to lead the party.
Today, the leaders of Dravidian parties, who swear by Anna, stubbornly retain all the powers, making inner-party democracy a casualty and putting paid to any emergence of second-line leaders with independent mind and functioning. During Anna’s time, most leaders of the DMK ran magazines or journals and retained their identity. “Anna was broad-minded and lived like a Rajarishi, without being lured by the attractions of power. It is my regret that a proper second-line leadership has not thrived after his demise,” said K. Thirunavukkarasu, historian of the Dravidian movement.